By Avice Meehan

Great Mountain Forest and the Foundation for Norfolk Living will participate in Northwest Corner Gives, an online fund raising campaign that runs from July 1 through July 22. Contributions to the two organizations will be matched dollar for dollar up to their campaign goals—doubling the impact of every gift.

All donations must be made through the Northwest Corner Gives platform at northwestcornergives.org and be made by July 22.

GMF received a $40,000 challenge grant to expand its public outreach and educational programs, including its partnerships with K-12 schools and workshops in the arts and outdoor skills. Most significantly, GMF is also hoping to expand opportunities for training forest owners and managers in sustainable forestry practices and provide additional internships for future forestry professionals. GMF must raise $20,000 to achieve the full match.

FNL received a $25,000 challenge grant to purchase lawn-care equipment, including mowers and snowblowers; a storage shed for the tools and bear-proof trash and recycling bins. All the equipment will be shared by the residents of the new Haystack Woods afforadable housing community as part of the homeowners association to which they will belong. The shared resources will lower monthly homeowner’s association fees while also fostering a can-do community spirit and strengthening ties among the residents. Monthly HOA fees will include funds for repairs to equipment. In FNL’s case, the organization must raise $12,500 to receive the full match.

Northwest Corner Gives is a cornerstone initiative of the Northwest CT Community Foundation. It has helped strengthen local nonprofits since its launch in 2020. Created as a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program raised $635,280 in immediate relief grants for 53 local nonprofits in its first year. Since its inception, Northwest Corner Gives has raised more than $1.6 million to support nonprofits serving the area.